Picture of Miata based car I am scratch building

<img src="" /> I thought that some of you may be interested in a project that I am starting. I am building a space frame for the stock Miata suspension cradles and drivetrain to bolt into. I was going to sculpt my own body but recently came across this body being made in England. I thought it was pretty cool so I ordered one. The body as made is 6 inches too narrow. The attached photoshop picture shows the body widened by 6 inches. It is now the stock width of the Miata. I will build it left hand drive. The head fairing will be on the correct side when I am done. My target weight is 1400lbs. I have built a few cars using C5 Corvette parts. This will be my first one using the Miata parts. My goal is to have a unique, lightweight sports car that didn't cost a fortune to build. Thanks for looking, John

Interesting. Out of curiosity, what's the name of the body/company? Seems like I've perhaps seen it before.

The body is being sold in England as a rebody for a Triumph Herald. It is called the Sammio-Spyder. I think the gentleman, Gary, that shaped the body did a great job. Personally I think it looks better with it 6 inches wider. I did see the body on another thread on this forum. Widening the body to fit the Miata parts here makes sense to me. In reply to oldtin:

Boing!

Now that is awesome!

Are you getting in on the group-buy that someone was trying to put together for these a month or so ago? We've been over this on this board...and FWIW, the OP is doing exactly what I would be doing if I had the time to do it. I'm looking forward to updates.

This requires a build thread.... and Mach 5 paint job.

Wow, it's been forever since I posted about this project. I ordered the Sammio body early in the summer and asked that it be widened by 6 inches so that it would fit the width of a Miata. The body has been widened and it is scheduled to be shipped this week!

In the mean time I stripped the body off from one of my Miatas in anticipation of the body arriving. I am working with a friend of mine that is a certified chassis engineer to build a steel space frame to which aluminum panels will form the bulkheads, floors, ect. I am anxious to get going but can't do much until the body gets here! This should be in 3-4 weeks now.

Some how i messed up adding a couple of other pics.

Its the Melange !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY5zkOyUejI&feature=fvwp&NR=1

Very, very cool - I'd love to see how this progresses. Keep us updated!

I picked up a kit car magazine a week ago, just to see what was doing in the area of "re-bodying" a wrecked...whatever. Anyway, picked up a British kit car mag (didn't even know vendors bothered with them in the U.S.) and the mag said that the Miata was THE car for sourcing components in the U.K. I guess like the Mustang is/was here.

That's a pretty cool body. Out of curiosity, how are you planning on handling openings for the hood, trunk and doors?

I am pretty sure the owner is building the bodies 6" wider as a standard option now.

http://www.madabout-kitcars.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=17

While I am waiting for my body to arrive I have been comparing measurements with Gary, the designer of the body in England. He didn't design the body to be used with the Miata. He wanted to stick to older cars to avoid the high cost to register a newer kit in England and he was sticking to cars that had a frame. The Miata is a unibody so I am having to build the frame.

It looks like the original hood will not clear the Miata engine and upper front shock mounts. So, it is either lengthen the wheelbase or redesign the hood. Attached is a photoshop redesign that will clear everything and maintain the stock wheelbase. I think that it looks good.

The hood is 1 piece and tilts forward for access. With the removal of 2 pins it can be removed. I am debating having doors or not. With out doors I can wrap the frame around me. It keeps things simple. I am pretty tall, hopping over the 27 inch high sides would be easy. But, doors wouldn't be that difficult to mold up. I wasn't going to have a trunk. Again to keep things simple. I was going to have and opening at the rear of the cockpit to store coats and such. But, again a trunk would be that difficult either.

While I am waiting for the body I can't do much. So, I threw some extra body parts that I have on the roller just to mock them up. 23 MX5 Sport Rod? Maybe another project. Having Fun.

Before I get comments, the frame rails you see are not my frame. I just tied the cradles together to help me visualize how I will build the frame.

I actually prefer your redesigned front to the original. How do you go about making the change?

Very cool project, by the way.

I can't take credit for it. Gary sat down with a graphic artist and made the changes. I prefer it too.